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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. craft — boats
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. swing — to play on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. craft — a skill
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. prune — to trim
  16. snap — to click
  17. cue — for pool
  18. row — a line
  19. mate — to breed
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. swing — music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com